Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update

On June 29, 2022 the FPA board voted to increase capacity in the FPA building by establish the new capacity limits shown below:

Control Room A - 5

Studio A - 20

Control Room B - 5

Studio B - 24

Radio Fairfax Studio - 4

WRLD Studio - 5

Control Room C - 4

Studio C - 6

EDIT ONE - 7

Green Room - 10

Conference Room - 15

Kitchen (w/vending machines) – 5

Overall building limit - 150

Additionally, the FPA board voted to eliminate the six feet social distancing requirement for individuals in the FPA building. As such, effective immediately, the requirement for individuals to maintain six feet distance from others is no longer in effect.

Producers may continue to request that equipment room staff wipe control room and studio equipment surfaces with disinfectant.

The wearing of facemasks continues to be strongly encouraged.

As the COVID-19 pandemic eases, we will review the situation and evaluate the easing of the remaining COVID-19 precautionary measures below, and will announce to you as the precautionary measures are lifted. In the interim, I ask for your cooperation in following these protocols, in order to help protect you and others.

PRESENCE IN THE BUILDING: Members should have an appropriate objective when on the FPA premises, and once members accomplish whatever they have come to do, they should exit. No unnecessary loitering, please.

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS IN AREAS RELATED DIRECTLY TO TELEVISION AND RADIO PRODUCTION:

EQUIPMENT ROOM:

In order to maintain social distancing, only one member may stand at the counter at one time.

Additionally, NO FIELD EQUIPMENT CHECK OUTS OR RETURNS, DURING THE FINAL HOUR THAT FPA IS OPEN FOR THE DAY.

RADIO: The RADIO FAIRFAX studio and the WRLD studio radio producers may request that staff disinfect studio surfaces, which will now take place during the beginning of the radio producer's time block. If a radio producer so desires, he or she may make such a request of our equipment room staff, as early as 24 hours before the time block begins, that the studio be disinfected, or the producer may make such a request upon their arrival for his or her show. ALL SOCIAL DISTANCING PROTOCOLS ARE ELIMINATED.

CAPACITY LIMITS:

Radio Fairfax Studio - 4

WRLD Studio - 5

TELEVISION: TV studio producers may request that equipment room staff disinfect control room and studio equipment and surfaces, which will now take place during the beginning of the TV studio producer's time block. If a TV studio producer so desires, he or she may make such a request of our equipment room staff, as early as 24 hours before the time block begins, that the control room and studio be disinfected, or the producer may make such a request upon their arrival for his or her show. ALL SOCIAL DISTANCING PROTOCOLS ARE ELIMINATED.

CAPACITY LIMITS:

Control Room A - 5

Studio A - 20

Control Room B - 5

Studio B – 24

Control Room C - 4

Studio C - 6

FOR ALL STUDIO PRODUCTIONS: Restrictions on the use of MAKE-UP ARTISTS have been eliminated.

PROGRAMMING CURBSIDE PICK-UP: Pre-scheduled curbside pickup and return of shows will continue, following Programming Director Maryam Shah’s instructions to program producers on how to schedule curbside drop off and pick up of programs and paperwork.

PLEASE PROTECT OTHERS FROM COVID-19 AND DO NOT ENTER THE FPA BUILDING, IF ANY OF THE ITEMS BELOW APPLY TO YOU:

• Have been within 6 feet of a person with a lab-confirmed case of COVID-19 for at least 5 minutes, or had direct contact with their mucus or saliva, in the past 14 days
• Live with a person who has COVID-19
• Have traveled to regions affected by COVID in the past 14 days
• Prior to entering FPA, in the last 48 hours had any of the following symptoms:
• Fever of 100.5 F (38 C) or above, or possible fever symptoms like alternating shivering and sweating
• New cough, new trouble breathing, shortness of breath or severe wheezing
• New chills
• New muscle aches
• Sore Throat
• Diarrhea
• New loss of smell or taste, or a change in taste

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS THROUGHOUT THE FPA BUILDING:

FACE MASKS: Anyone entering the FPA building is strongly encouraged to wear an appropriate mask.

WASHING HANDS AND USE OF HAND SANITIZER: Signs encouraging proper hand washing will be posted in the restroom area and elsewhere. Dispensers of hand sanitizer will be placed at several locations throughout the building.

We hope that all of the precautionary protocols above, which are designed to safeguard you and your fellow FPA members, will help protect all of our members as we work through COVID-19.